Jindal's Catholicism will be a major issue with the MSM if he is chosen because he is a convert from Hinduism. And this kind of thing will be front-paged and run endlessly on the nets. Of course, Oba's conversion from Islam to Black Liberation Christianity is not to be mentioned.
Did Bobby Jindal claim to have performed an exorcism?
BELDAR BLOG
In comments to a post on Outside the Beltway entitled McCain to Pick VP This Week: Romney or Jindal?, someone commenting under the name "Hal" quipped: "McCain/Jindal '08: Because The White House Needs An Exorcist!"
Now, that's typical moonbat twaddle that I'd ordinarily ignore, but a couple of comments down, another blogger, Dr. Steven Taylor, whose integrity I respect, chimed in with a comment saying: "Not just a belief in exorcism, btw, but as Hal alludes, Jindal claims to have performed one." (Italics his.)
That's completely wrong, and I left a comment saying so. But I became curious, which in turn, led me to track down and read Jindal's entire 1994 article in the New Oxford Review (accessible by subscription or $1.50 one-time fee here), "Physical Dimensions to Spiritual Warfare." In it, Jindal described his presence at, and complex reactions to, an event involving a fellow student who some present concluded had been possessed by a demon which some present attempted to exorcise. In succeeding comments, I added quotes and links — including some incidental opinions about Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM)'s lack of serious foreign policy credentials and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act — in what turned into a lengthy argument with "Hal," who eventually demonstrated that he can't or won't distinguish a "Hail, Mary" from an exorcism ritual.
Fairly read, Jindal's article is a well-written and moving description of his own confusion, concern, self-doubt, and fears as he was struggling with issues both spiritual and concrete. But as for his participation in — much less performance of — a purported exorcism, these paragraphs seemed to me to convincingly refute any such suggestions:
* Knowing that I was doing Susan no good, I quickly retreated to the opposite side of the room. Susan proceeded to denounce every individual in the room, often citing very private and confidential information she could not possibly have known on her own. It was information capable of hurting individuals — attacking people, as she did, by revealing their hidden feelings, fears, and worries. The night was just beginning!
The students, led by Susan's sister and Louise, a member of a charismatic church, engaged in loud and desperate prayers while holding Susan with one hand. Kneeling on the ground, my friends were chanting, "Satan, I command you to leave this woman." Others exhorted all "demons to leave in the name of Christ." It is no exaggeration to note the tears and sweat among those assembled. Susan lashed out at the assembled students with verbal assaults.
Though I attempted to maintain a stoic attitude and an expressionless face, my inner fear must have been apparent to all present. I was the only one present who remained silent and apart from the group.
I repeated to myself that such things do not happen to normal people. I had attended a charismatic church once, out of curiosity, but had merely seen a congregation dance wildly, pray enthusiastically, and speak in a language that sounded like gibberish. I wondered how the horror unfolding before my eyes could make any sense. I desperately wanted it all to end, but could not leave.
Then the fear and doubts began. Though I have experienced the normal periods of questioning, I have never come so close to abandoning my faith as I did that night. I could not pray to God. I tried as hard as I could, but I couldn't. Out of desperation, I called upon the saints to articulate my prayers and rescue me from this living nightmare. Though I had never prayed with the saints before, I began to understand the Church's teaching of the unity within the One Body. I pleaded with the saints in Heaven to offer God the prayers I was unable to formulate. *
These paragraphs describe an informal spiritual ceremony, a lay attempt at something like exorcism (no clergy were present), that Jindal watched, found intensely troubling, and prayed about — not something that he led or even participated actively in, but something that he deliberately stood physically and spiritually apart from. In a later paragraph he emphasizes that he does "not have the answers" to questions like "Can a Christian be 'possessed'?" And his final paragraph eloquently summarizes his own inconclusive reactions to the purported possession and exorcism:
* I left that classroom with a powerful belief in Mary's intercessions and with many questions about spiritual warfare; I also learned a lasting lesson in humility and the limits of human understanding. Was the purpose of that night served when so many individuals were inducted into the Church? Did I witness spiritual warfare? I do not have the answers, but I do believe in the reality of spirits, angels, and other related phenomena that I can neither touch nor see. *
It is inconceivable that someone who claims to be an exorcist himself, or who is representing that he "performed" or even participated in a successful exorcism, could write that paragraph. The article thus not only fails to support Steven Taylor's assertion, but refutes it. Nevertheless, you can read my exchange back and forth with "Hal" if you'd like to see how anti-religious bigots with few scruples for the truth can and will mock someone of faith like Jindal.
I'll repeat here, however, one more sentiment that I stated there:
* I have zero doubt whatsoever that were Jindal to become McCain's Veep nominee, and were the netroots to continue to harp on this issue, Jindal could very effectively shame them for doing so with every American who has an ounce of decency and an ounce of respect for the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, regardless of their personal religious beliefs. *
Looking more deeply into this particular episode deepens my respect for Gov. Jindal, whose own words are indeed his own best advocate, even when he's describing his own very subjective doubts, fears, and hopes.
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UPDATE (Tue Jul 22 @ 6:10pm): Prof. Bainbridge quotes Dr. Joyner's original post, which refers to Jindal's "belief in things like exorcism," without further comment on the exorcism subject, but he goes on to quote from U.S. News & World Report an impressive list of facts about Gov. Jindal and his qualifications in urging Sen. McCain to pick him as the GOP Veep nominee. Separately, in comments here and on his own blog, Dr. Taylor has walked back from his statement that Gov. Jindal claims to have performed an exorcism, but he still asserts that Gov. Jindal "partially participated" in one, which I think is still an overstatement. Nevertheless, my regard for Dr. Taylor remains intact. Finally, I ran across this on Catholic doctrine regarding exorcisms, and I can't vouch for its accuracy or authority, but it appears to include a warning about lay attempts at exorcism issued by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who of course is now Pope Benedict XVI. Basically, such "imprecatory exorcisms" (as distinguished from more general prayers to be freed from the influence of demons) may only be done by a priest with permission of a bishop. Unless we presume that Jindal was attempting an act forbidden by official Catholic dogma, then, it seems to me that this is yet another reason to doubt that he was voluntarily attempting to participate in a lay exorcism, much less perform one himself.
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